prefolds and doublers? Help!

[Gremco]

I was thinking about buying some prefolds from little lions, but then I keep reading about needing doublers with prefolds. Will I need doublers if I get the 4x8x4? If so, I don't see an advantage to them becasue right now I am using cheap gerber prefolds with a cheap gerber flat folded as a doubler. It is working fine absorbency wise, but I'd rather be able to use just one diaper. I'm diapering three kids and I'm sick of stuffing the RRPs I have. I want a diaper that I can just throw on them, and throw it in the wash without worrying about stuffing, unstuffing, or sorting. Would I be better off with flats so I could just double them up before folding if needed? It would be two diapers, but I wouldn't be using one of one type and one of another. I'd like one diaper that I can use for all of them and don't have to worry about which diaper I'm grabbing out of the diaper bag or drawer. I usually love my RRP, but I'm just tired of stuffing them for now. I'd like the easiest in terms of laundry at the moment. I have three from one month to two years, so I wash a lot of diapers.

[cparkly]

I am not an expert, but I have been successfully cloth diapering my 17-month old (30 lb) babe with prefolds (and no doublers), since birth. I bought them from Green Mountain Diaper Co. They are wonderful. We started with the Newborn/Orange, graduated to the Small/Yellow and for the last year have been using the Large/Dark Brown. In retrospect, the Newborn size was completely unnecessary (he wore them for 1 week, before outgrowing). I cloth diaper his little friend 2 days a week also. She is significantly smaller (18 lb) but I use the same size on both of them and they work great.

[JTA Mom]

I'd go with a ton of flats. Double them for the older kiddos, single flat for the little one.

With prefolds, you do need to have different sizes. The doubler is used to make the smaller prefolds a bit more absorbent. It's also nice to have a bit more absorbency to go a bit longer with changes.

However, since you really want super simple, get thee some flats or receiving blankets. Different folds give different fits, takes seconds to fold a flat and slap it on and they are super, super easy to wash.

Ami

[Gremco]

I've used receiving blankets as flats, but I think I don't like flannel if I have to fold. It doesn't seem to fold well for me, and I can't get it snug around the waist. I have this problem with the flannel prefolds I made as well.

I'm also not looking for extended periods of pee holdage. I like to change often. I'd still use a RRP at night because they are trimmer.

I might skip prefolds if I really need more than one size. I was only planning on one size and making do for all of them.

[sunshynbaby]

I use Indian and Chinese prefolds, and have never needed a doubler except for overnight.

[Michigan Mama]

I only use doublers at night also.

The regular sized premium pf's would be quite large on a 1 month old, but probably useable. My ds1 is 2.5 yrs and he still fits in that regular size, but a baby who is thicker around the waist may not fit them anymore... just depends on your kiddos, I guess.

[octobermom]

I only used doublers over night and during the times shes started taking massivly long naps (3-4 hours each).

Deanna

[e_roehm23]

Maybe I wait much longer between changes (about every 2 hrs), but my ds soaks through the pfs w/doublers even! I do like pfs because they're definately more economical, but I'm looking into something more absorbant...